These two programs focus on creating and maintaining partnerships and collaborations between community-based organizations (CBOs), such as social service and faith-based organizations, and Title X providers. The goal is to increase community awareness about reproductive health services and create referral linkages to family planning services for high-risk target populations. These populations include:

• Hispanics, African-Americans, Asians & Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans
• Migrant workers and immigrants
• Substance abusing individuals
• Disabled individuals
• Homeless
• Individuals with Limited English Proficiency (LEP)

CBOs are uniquely suited to address social, sexual and medical issues with these groups. They are firmly established in their respective communities and have a long history of addressing the needs of high-risk, hard-to-reach populations. The organizations we work with utilize Title X funds to strengthen their existing social programs for these populations by incorporating activities to increase knowledge and access to family planning services in their community.

Building Capacity

Over the years, these CBOs have developed and refined their abilities to serve their communities. They have received assistance from CFHC and Title X partners in staff training, tracking outreach and referrals, and Title X reporting requirements. The CBOs have also evolved in their sophistication of grant proposal preparation, increased their knowledge of reproductive health care and many have participated in CFHC sponsored trainings.

Participants have appreciated the training and capacity building. "Our eyes were opened!" exclaimed Pastor Kevin Thompson and his wife Debra, from the Number One Church of God in Christ in Oroville, CA. “This training program and the other resources available at CFHC made a tremendous difference in our comfort level in dealing with sexual issues with our youth and parents. We learned a great deal and our trainer from CFHC, Elizabeth Russell-Fisk, was wonderful.”

Reaching the Community

These two funding programs have allowed organizations to get creative with the way they reach out to the community. For example, the FBCO Healthy Oakland worked with city-funded projects to address violence prevention and incorporated the family planning and reproductive health message into their outreach activities. Another innovative project was developed with sports agent Aaron Goodwin and Oakland Councilwoman Delsey Brooks to conduct the “So, You Think You Can Hoop” basketball event targeting young Black male youth. This kind of networking synchronicity from Oakland is multiplied in the other communities with SPP and FBCO programs statewide. And the family planning message is then expanded exponentially.

The SPP and FBCO programs have participated in evaluation activities that continue to show that the local projects have been successful. In addition to increased knowledge and access to services, these efforts have affected their communities in immeasurable ways. Through these projects, these organizations have influenced local norms, having positive reproductive health outcomes. Community members have gotten the support needed to reinforce positive behavior and lifestyle changes. And the communities have been empowered with the resources needed to create healthier communities.

Building Bridges

Perhaps the most beneficial result of these innovative programs is that bridges have been built between CFHC, participating Title X providers, and the communities we all serve. Creating and strengthening such collaborations expands the role that the community-based organizations play in providing counseling, medically accurate reproductive health education, and delivering medical services related to family planning in California .

These community-based organizations are a powerful ally in working towards CFHC’s mission of improving the health of California ’s families by increasing access to quality reproductive health services.

For more information about these programs, contact Laurel Beyrer at beyrerl@cfhc.org.

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